Projects

Alternativa Association is focused in offering technical assistance for the artisan sector, aiming to create partnerships and/or supporting networks with international donors, local NGO’s and governmental institutions, for the implementation of programs and services oriented to benefit the artisans, specially those who have small and medium enterprises.    
Since its creation, Alternativa Association has been worked in the following projects:

Asociación MOJE

From August 2008 to January 2009, Alternativa Association executed for the Movement of Youth MOJE (for its name in Spanish), a consultancy on technical and commercial assistance, to create an effective product costs system, Packaged and packaging techniques, and to organize a commercial tour to Honduras. It also supported to the creation of commercial promotion Tools.  Many of the tools developed for the association in this consultancy are being used by them. They are now positioned in a good place within the local market niche and had started to work with the regional (Guatemala) and International markets (United States) also.

Northern Artisan Productive Initiative – IPAN-

Started in August 2008 and planned to end in February 2010, Alternativa Association is working for FOMILENIO (through the program Aid to Artisans), the Northern Artisan Productive Initiative -IPAN-. Through this initiative more than 340 people will be positively directly benefited and more than 1360 artisans will be indirectly benefited through the technical and productive trainings, the market of their products (total sales for more than $175,000.00) and development of new designs (250 new proposals), incorporating innovation according to the new market trends.

Advisory and Training Development System for the Local Development –SACDEL-

From May to September 2008, Alternativa Association worked with the Advisory and Training Development System for the Local Development –SACDEL-, in topics related to quality improvement, standardizing the production and organization of the ceramic Workshops in the Project JOVART in Guadalupe. The youth who participated in this project learned how to make different size products with clay, using the wheel as the main working tool. They also learned how to give the products a better quality level and how to have a standardized production of crafts; they also learned a new technique with the use of paints and reinforced the use of a technique called “painting in cold”. An important achievement is how the youth overcome their shyness when creating products of their own inspiration.    

National Commission for the Micro and Small Enterprise –CONAMYPE -

From September to December 2008,  Alternativa Association worked with the  National Commission for the Micro and Small Enterprise –CONAMYPE – in design; supporting 13 artisan workshops that work with clay, in the municipalities of Ilobasco and Guatajiagua. 10 new products distributed in 2/3 lines of products were developed, stimulating the creativity and innovation of the artisans themselves in their productive processes, involving them in the definition of the new products to be developed, according to the markets links they already had.

SP2

Starting in June 2009 with a 3 month execution period, Alternativa Association will work for the Productive Development Project of FOMILENIO – Artisan Chain Value (through the leadership of its mentor Aid to Artisans, Inc.) the first stage of a Costs consultancy to support 24 productive micro and small enterprises located in Chalatenango, Suchitoto and Morazán. The main objective of this consultancy will be to evaluate and optimize their productive processes, as well as to reduce costs in order to meet market demands with low prices, without sacrificing their profit.

If you are interested in working with the Alternativa Association and its Project execution area, contact us through this email address: